At the Farmers Classic last year - not this summer but last - I watched Blake on the practice court and actually overheard a convo he was having with another player, I think it was Rajeev Ram, about his new frame. He said he'd been looking for another frame for years, but Donnay finally produced a frame that 'felt like my old one.' Said he actually went to some factory in Austria, they had several different frames to try out, and when hit with the one, he knew it was for him and said 'How many do you have?'; they said '13' or something like that and he said, "I want each one," and also placed an order for like 30 more.

So maybe it's a Dunlop mold, but it's not the exact Dunlop he'd been playing with for so long with simply new Donnay paint. At least as of that conversation last year.

Yeah. The foam-filled feel of a Donnay is pretty solid. I remember a couple of years ago at the 2010 Australian Open, Blake was using a retail BLX90 and took JMDP to five sets before losing in a tiebreak. If he had a Dunlop mold racquet customized with the materials of a Donnay and leaded up to 13.5 ounces, that would probably be a beast to play with.

At the Farmers Classic last year - not this summer but last - I watched Blake on the practice court and actually overheard a convo he was having with another player, I think it was Rajeev Ram, about his new frame. He said he'd been looking for another frame for years, but Donnay finally produced a frame that 'felt like my old one.' Said he actually went to some factory in Austria, they had several different frames to try out, and when hit with the one, he knew it was for him and said 'How many do you have?'; they said '13' or something like that and he said, "I want each one," and also placed an order for like 30 more.

So maybe it's a Dunlop mold, but it's not the exact Dunlop he'd been playing with for so long with simply new Donnay paint. At least as of that conversation last year.

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Does that mean that he is using some Head racquets painted by Donnay?Head replica of the Dunlop mold paintjob by Donnay :shock:

Blake felt the time might be right, and agreed to the proposal. On his way from the US to the Stockholm Open, James and his coach started the testing programme in Kennelbach. During his visit, the personable American took advantage of the chance to meet with HEAD technicians, see how the racquets are manufactured and generally get a feel for the company.

From the initial development stage of inputting his personal data into the computer to the drafting of technical specifications for production of his new racquet, Blake asked his questions and was given detailed explanations about the entire process. He was impressed with what he saw and learned. "I never thought what effect even small changes in the structure of the racquet can have," he said.

The player spent four days in Kennelbach taking every opportunity to test various racquet configurations. The first session began with 11 models of different weights, balance points and flexibility. From this group, he selected three prototypes which were revised overnight and ready for more testing the next day. In three other testing sessions Blake played the potential racquets under competitive conditions, which brought further insights..........

"It was inconceivable for me to find a racquet in three days, which corresponds to the way I play and the way I move," said an amazed Blake, who could barely contain his praise of the technical wizards in Austria. "What the HEAD team has managed is really incredible. I have full confidence in them."

At the Farmers Classic last year - not this summer but last - I watched Blake on the practice court and actually overheard a convo he was having with another player, I think it was Rajeev Ram, about his new frame. He said he'd been looking for another frame for years, but Donnay finally produced a frame that 'felt like my old one.' Said he actually went to some factory in Austria, they had several different frames to try out, and when hit with the one, he knew it was for him and said 'How many do you have?'; they said '13' or something like that and he said, "I want each one," and also placed an order for like 30 more.

So maybe it's a Dunlop mold, but it's not the exact Dunlop he'd been playing with for so long with simply new Donnay paint. At least as of that conversation last year.

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You might be right. I did get to hold one of his Donnay's while at the tournament and it didn't feel like 13.5 ounces. My Donnay is about 12.7 and it felt heavier than Blake's.

His Head replica of the Dunlop mold paintjob by Donnay is probably more headlight than yours:neutral:
Not a Donnay apparently.
Austria...Nothing is really sure there.

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Donnay took well over a year of prototype testing to finally make a frame that Blake liked . The frame that Blake is using is the Donnay Pro One 18 x 20 Exactly like the one you can buy . The only difference of course is that it's Custom weighted and balanced for him . The reason it's the same frame is Once Blake decided on this frame Donnay had to MFG a lot frames for him and decided to put them into their line .

Donnay took well over a year of prototype testing to finally make a frame that Blake liked . The frame that Blake is using is the Donnay Pro One 18 x 20 Exactly like the one you can buy . The only difference of course is that it's Custom weighted and balanced for him . The reason it's the same frame is Once Blake decided on this frame Donnay had to MFG a lot frames for him and decided to put them into their line .

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Why would the testing have happened in Austria if not Head/Kennelbach?
Thanks by the way.

Donnay took well over a year of prototype testing to finally make a frame that Blake liked . The frame that Blake is using is the Donnay Pro One 18 x 20 Exactly like the one you can buy . The only difference of course is that it's Custom weighted and balanced for him . The reason it's the same frame is Once Blake decided on this frame Donnay had to MFG a lot frames for him and decided to put them into their line .

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Do you think Blake's frame is 68 RA though? I would imagine he'd have more flex.

Why would the testing have happened in Austria if not Head/Kennelbach?
Thanks by the way.

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Blake went to Kennelbach in fall of 2010 and had HEAD make him some racquets. He then went back to his Dunlop frames in 2011 and he had DonnayUSA make him a copy of his Dunlop. The Donnay frames Blake uses have nothing to do with what HEAD did for him.

Blake went to Kennelbach in fall of 2010 and had HEAD make him some racquets. He then went back to his Dunlop frames in 2011 and he had DonnayUSA make him a copy of his Dunlop. The Donnay frames Blake uses have nothing to do with what HEAD did for him.

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Thanks for the clarification
So, what has been said on post 14 is a mix-up and is totally irelevant

James is now working with Craig Boynton (Isner's coach), who spoke with us at the GSS Symposium. I asked about Blake's gear, and he explained that the issue was the specific graphite composite used in Blake's Dunlops came from the airplane industry. Apparently, Donnay was able to track some of the material down in an airport in China. Then, they made Blake's new frames from the aquired material.

James is now working with Craig Boynton (Isner's coach), who spoke with us at the GSS Symposium. I asked about Blake's gear, and he explained that the issue was the specific graphite composite used in Blake's Dunlops came from the airplane industry. Apparently, Donnay was able to track some of the material down in an airport in China. Then, they made Blake's new frames from the aquired material.

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Sounds like hogwash to me.... It is VERY difficult to believe a fairy tail that Donnay tracked down rolls of pre-preg (which would probably be in cold storage) to make racquets for a player who is close to retirement.

Sounds like hogwash to me.... It is VERY difficult to believe a fairy tail that Donnay tracked down rolls of pre-preg (which would probably be in cold storage) to make racquets for a player who is close to retirement.

again... I think that is total BS....

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It was coming from James' new coach...not sure he has any reason to lie about it.

James is now working with Craig Boynton (Isner's coach), who spoke with us at the GSS Symposium. I asked about Blake's gear, and he explained that the issue was the specific graphite composite used in Blake's Dunlops came from the airplane industry. Apparently, Donnay was able to track some of the material down in an airport in China. Then, they made Blake's new frames from the aquired material.

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How does one track down material in an airport in these days of security? Maybe it means they were able to locate a supplier based on some info from the airport?

I love james been his fan for 10 years but at this juncture what is he trying to prove? He's 30, got a newborn and a girlfriend, guess he finally got the racquet he wanted maybe the missing piece was this coach.

Robert Duvall tells Tom Cruise that he put a "special" set of tires on the car. Cruise then has the confidence to pull off a daring pass on the last lap to win the race. Cruise later discovers there was nothing "special" about the tires after all, Duvall was just telling him what he needed to hear.

The material is apparently used in the airline industry. I'm sure someone was willing to sell for the right price.

Of course, this assumes the story is actually true.

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Carbon fiber is used in the aircraft industry, automobile industry, aerospace industry, formula 1 race cars, boating. But in Prepreg form it still needs to be stored at -15 degrees Celsius or the epoxy resins will cure.

I love james been his fan for 10 years but at this juncture what is he trying to prove? He's 30, got a newborn and a girlfriend, guess he finally got the racquet he wanted maybe the missing piece was this coach.

I love james been his fan for 10 years but at this juncture what is he trying to prove? He's 30, got a newborn and a girlfriend, guess he finally got the racquet he wanted maybe the missing piece was this coach.

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What do you mean by, "..what is he trying to prove?" Did he say something? I can only guess that you're questioning why he's still playing after 30 - clearly we all know he's not going to win a slam, or even get back to the top.